The Swiss are well known for their appreciation of precision technology, in which they emphasize ease of use, practical capabilities and aesthetic form. That's why for the owners of the SwissĂ'tel Chicago, the ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System was the natural choice for giving hotel staff and guests total control of the impressive audio and video systems in the hotel's lobby, bar, main office, reception area and media lounge, as well as five ballrooms and five meeting rooms. The ELAN g! System's elegantly simple control interface offers guests unparalleled simplicity for making business presentations and enjoying leisure events.

According to Gary Trucinksi, President of AVLET, the professional integration company that installed the ELAN system, "Management told us they needed a system that could be used by both staff and guests, so it was immediately clear that the ELAN g! System was the best choice. Most other systems require hours of training and a high level of technical expertise, but the hotel staff couldn't believe how easy the ELAN g! system was to use, and everything it could do.

"Now they are controlling the music and video displays throughout all the hotel's common areas with iPads, while guests can use the system themselves in the media lounge, ballrooms and meeting rooms for business or leisure. Guests can literally walk into the media lounge, tap the iPad and start controlling the audio and video. It's that intuitive."

AVLET installed permanent in-wall ELAN touchscreens in the office and bar so the managers always have full control over the system. For guests in the ballrooms, meeting rooms and staff in the lobby and reception area, several iPads running the ELAN g!Mobile app provide mobile control over the rooms' audio and video, and can easily be used as a remote control for business presentations.

There are more than 100 in-ceiling speakers located throughout these common areas, along with a 60" TV at the bar and two 60" TVs in the media lounge, giving guests a fun place to converse with friend and colleagues before they even get to their hotel room. The meeting rooms and media lounge also feature HDMI input wall plates for simple connection of laptops and other video sources for presentations or movies.

"SwissĂ'tel Chicago has its own A/V company that runs day-to-day operations, and now they can log in to the ELAN g! System remotely from their couches at home to help if an issue arises," Trucinski said. "That's one of the best things about the g! System, it's so easy for installers and A/V pros to troubleshoot because the programming is simple in the first place. Another great thing for the hotel is that because they were expecting prices more in line with a Crestron system, and ELAN g! is much more affordable, the project came in way under budget!"

The ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices including TVs, touchscreens, touchpads, PCs, iPhones and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touchscreens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room - or across the globe.

Individual "apps" for each subsystem allow the user to control security, climate, lighting, media, irrigation, pool/spa, messaging, video and photos with the flick of a finger. Access is fast and secure through any ELAN home interface or globally with mobile Internet enabled devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Netbooks and PC Tablets. Since the intuitive interface empowers users with personalized scheduling and detailed history views, high consumption subsystems like lighting and climate can be closely monitored and managed for a greener lifestyle - and substantial energy savings.

SwissĂ'tel Hotels & Resorts is a distinctive group of deluxe hotels for today's discerning modern business and leisure travellers, combining the renowned Swiss touch with a fresh, modern and contemporary design.

Each SwissĂ'tel offers personalised service with charm and efficiency. Located in main gateway destinations and city centres, SwissĂ'tel hotels have convenient access to business and shopping districts, and local attractions.

About ELAN Home Systems:
Since 1990 ELAN® Home Systems has been an industry leading manufacturer of innovative, award-winning Multi-Room audio/video systems. ELAN systems were the first to integrate audio, video, phones and third-party products to create a seamless, easy-to-use "whole house" solution. ELAN systems and products are distributed through a comprehensive channel of select Dealers and Distributors throughout the United States, Canada and more than 58 countries worldwide. ELAN Home Systems is part of The AVC Group. To learn more visit www.elanhomesystems.com.